Fated Luna

Chapter 9 – Cruel and Harsh

Elvie



I sat in the passenger seat of my father’s Benz, staring out of the window, my mind swirling with thoughts. The driver was silent, focused on the road, but the tension between my father and me filled the car. I glanced over at him, frowning, unable to keep my frustration bottled up any longer.

“Why do you seem not fine with Tom?” I blurted out, my annoyance clear in my voice. “He’s nice, and he’s rich too. His parents are both Delta. That’s still a high rank in our pack, right? His family is respectable.”

I looked at my father, hoping he would see reason. Tom wasn’t perfect, but he came from a good family. That should count for something. But Beta Arnold didn’t look impressed. He met my gaze with a serious expression that made my stomach twist a little.

“So what?” he replied sharply. “His family may be Delta, but we’re still above them. Does that not matter to you? Don’t you want to be the next Luna?”

His words caught me off guard, and I blinked in surprise. I had never expected him to bring that up.

The title of Luna—it was something every she-wolf like me dreamed of, but to actually be considered for it? I had never seriously thought about it for myself.

When I was a young pup, I barely ever saw Alpha Jerry’s family. Only my father and the highest-ranking members of the pack ever got to meet with them. Alpha Jerry was always so secretive, and even his wife, Luna Megan, remained out of reach.

The one time I saw them was when my mother, Jasmine, died. Alpha Jerry attended the funeral, but I didn’t get a chance to speak with him or Luna Megan. I had always wondered if they had children, a son or a daughter, but the details of their family were kept so hidden, even from us.

I sighed and turned back to my father. “Of course, every she-wolf wishes to be Luna someday,” I admitted quietly. “But everyone knows how hard that is. The Moon Goddess chooses the mates, not us.”

Beta Arnold nodded, his expression still stern, but there was something in his eyes that made me nervous. “Yes, that’s true. But if the current Alpha’s son were to fall in love with a she-wolf and choose her as his mate, the Moon Goddess would give it a benefit of the doubt. That’s exactly what happened when Alpha Jerry chose Luna Megan.”

I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. “The Moon Goddess chose someone else, but Alpha Jerry still wanted Luna Megan?”

My father nodded. “Yes. The Moon Goddess saw something in Megan that made her a worthy mate for Alpha Jerry in the end. It can happen like that.”

I stared at him for a long moment, trying to piece together what he was implying. A cold realization slowly crept over me, and I couldn’t help but ask, “Are you planning for me to be the mate of Alpha Jerry’s son?”

The question hung in the air, and I could feel my heart racing as I waited for my father’s response. He gave a small nod, his face unreadable. “I don’t know if Alpha Jerry’s son has already found a mate,” he said slowly, “but if he hasn’t, then yes, Elvie, you need to be the one.”

The air felt heavy in my chest, and I swallowed hard, my thoughts instantly turning to Tom. How could I balance all of this? What did my father expect me to do? My relationship with Tom was still new, but now everything felt complicated.

I didn’t even know Alpha Jerry’s son—how could I possibly be the one to stand by his side as Luna?

“Do you know who Alpha Jerry’s son is?” I asked, my voice quieter now, uncertainty gnawing at me.

My father’s expression darkened slightly. “Alpha Jerry has been very secretive about his son, mostly to protect him. He wants to avoid any assassination attempts or unwanted attention. But I have a strong hunch about who it could be. I’m investigating more to be sure. What I do know is that Alpha Jerry’s son grew up in his grandparents’ home—Alpha Jack and Luna Amelia.”

I trembled at the mention of those names. Alpha Jack and Luna Amelia were notorious throughout the packs. They had a fearsome reputation for their strength and cruelty.

They had conquered several smaller packs to expand the Moon Crest Pack, making it the largest and most powerful pack in the region.

“If Alpha Jerry’s son grew up with them,” I said slowly, the thought sending a chill through me, “then… he must be just as cruel and harsh as they are.”

My father sighed, rubbing his temple for a moment before turning back to me with a serious expression. “Perhaps,” he said, “but it doesn’t matter. No matter what kind of wolf he is, Elvie, you need to become the next Luna. That’s what’s important.”

I stared out of the window, trying to process everything. The idea of becoming Luna sounded exciting, but the reality of it felt overwhelming.

And what about Tom? Could I really just toss aside everything I had with him because of a position that might not even be mine to claim?

But deep down, I knew my father’s ambitions were not something I could easily ignore. He had always been focused on power, on making sure our family remained at the top of the pack’s hierarchy.

And now, he was pinning those hopes on me.

I swallowed again, my throat tight. “I don’t know, Dad,” I whispered. “This is a lot.”

He glanced at me, his eyes softening just a little. “I know it’s a lot to take in, Elvie. But you have to think about the future. You need to be strong, to step up and claim what should be yours.”

I didn’t say anything else after that. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions—confusion, fear, and a strange sense of responsibility all mixing together. As we continued driving, I could feel the weight of the future pressing down on me.